Commuter Stories

Dave McGarrity

Dave McGarrity is a Stationary Engineer at Facilities Management, here at Western. He has worked here for five and a half years, and has never driven once to work! He lives about one and a half miles away and among the many reasons he has for choosing sustainable transportation, says that it would take him longer to get to work if he drove.

Dave walks to work most often, but also bikes on occasion. He chooses to walk or bike to work because, “it’s a perfect fit!” Dave finds that it makes sense to avoid the challenges of parking. Walking also means one less car on campus and he says, “It’s simple not to add to it.”

Dave enjoys many benefits of walking, such as the chance to stay in shape. “If I can go up Oak Street and I’m not breathing hard, I know I’m doing good,” Dave jokes. He also likes the opportunity to take in the changing scenery as he walks to work, saying, “It’s never really the same. Because I work shift work, it could be late at night or early in the morning.” Dave is also saving money by choosing to walk and bike. “With the price of gas, you can’t ask for a better routine!”

Dave has some wonderful tips for someone just starting out. He suggests using sustainable transportation, “for trips that you don’t have a fixed time to be there. It takes the stress out of it so you can enjoy it.” Dave also suggests starting small and to, “pick trips that are not too long at first so you don’t wear yourself down.” And of course, the buddy system is a great way to try out a new routine! Dave points out that, “it’s always better to have a friend, someone to talk to or to tell it’s break time.”

Sustainable transportation choices run in the family for Dave. He says that he knows walking works because his mother is 95 and has walked all her life! She walked all around town to volunteer and is still walking today! Dave is continuing to share alternative transportation choices with family as he rides bikes downtown with his kids, or even to the Boulevard. He says, “If there are events, it makes more sense! The town is really good on the bike trails.”

Dave was randomly selected from all WWU Smart Trips participants as the April winner. Dave says he chooses to log his trips with Smart Trips atwww.whatcomsmarttrips.org because there are many people making sustainable transportation choices and he feels good about adding to that group. As a Smart Trips participant, Dave also enjoys using his Smart Trips discount card at local businesses around town. He will have the opportunity to do a little shopping here on campus, too because he won an AS Bookstore gift card as the April WWU Smart Trips winner. Congratulations Dave!

Dave has many reasons to bike and walk. To sum it up, he says, “I bike sometimes, but rain or snow or ice, I’m walking. It’s just a relaxing time of day to unwind and wake up.”